The main products manufactured by the Precious Metals Production industry are refined silver, platinum and gold. Platinum sales are heavily influenced by the automotive industry as the commodity is used to manufacture catalytic converters. Gold and silver are both used for jewellery manufacturing and investment purposes, though silver has many other industrial applications as well. The industry's performance has been highly volatile over the past few years, reflecting dramatic shifts in the world prices of precious metals, declining industry participation and unsteady demand from downstream markets. The industry is expected to generate revenue of £1.3 billion in 2014-15, compared with £874.5 million in 2009-10. This equates to compound annual revenue growth of 8.9%... purchase to read more

Industry Report - Industry Investment Chapter

The level of capital intensity in the Precious Metal Production industry is high as it relies more heavily on large, industrial equipment than it does on labour. For every £1.00 industry operators spend on capital, £1.37 is expected to be spent on labour, highlighting the importance of capital investment to the industry. The production of precious metal ingots that meet the global standard of minimum 99.9% purity requires that equipment such as furnaces be kept in premium working condition and replaced as necessary. The cost of replacing refining machinery can be extremely high... purchase to read more

What is the
Precious Metals Production
Industry?

Firms in this industry refine precious metals like gold, silver and platinum. They also produce precious metal alloys and offer plating services.